


On Gatekeeping

by NeoNeo1212



Category: Non-Fiction - Fandom, Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games)
Genre: Anti-Capitalism, Don't Like Don't Read, Furries, Mentions of the alt-right, Sensitive Topic, Video & Computer Games
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 07:21:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29485926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeoNeo1212/pseuds/NeoNeo1212
Summary: I think it's sorely underestimated when used in the right hands.





	On Gatekeeping

Gatekeeping.

A lot of people tend to get their feathers ruffled by this word, and I don't see why anymore.

Let me explain.

For many, the idea of gatekeeping is inherently evil on the grounds that it prevents exploration and inclusivity. That's not wrong on THOSE terms. However, when it is on the grounds that it keeps out certain individuals from screwing up canon to fit their own agenda, that's when I feel that it is a must. I'm sorry, but I support gatekeeping on those terms.

Let me make an example.

Sonic the Hedgehog's canon has been royally screwed over by apparently older fans who basically cannot learn to let go of the past. Some pockets of newer fans, however, are looking for Sonic to return to more mature settings, believe it or not. I proudly choose the side of the younger fans because the older are blinded by nostalgia, to bluntly put it. The older fans have forgotten how to evolve and have regressed to a form that no wonder some detractors of the franchise consider infantile, now that I think about it. We who place the importance of canon above whatever this "quality" nonsense is about know that the powers that be have been letting the non-fans call the shots, and we have seen how much the franchise has suffered because of it. Why, though? What is the point of letting the people who want nothing to do with Sonic have their say? They clearly don't care. Please note that when I say canon, I mean story, writing, character, and most importantly the aesthetic of attitude and edge. There is no double-edged blade here. I give you permission to play whatever games that make you feel happy, but what's good for the goose is not always good the gander if you to assert it as fact. Take for instance the saddening crop-up of Sonic fans that are alt-rightists. These need to be gatekept as well along with those who believe that turning Sonic gay will make everything better for him as a character, and I say that as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community myself. A gay Sonic is a woke-capitalist Sonic; an insincere cash grab just as bad the movie was. A gay Sonic is better left to fanfiction, and there is a reason they are called headcanons.

We gatekeep every minute of our lives, come to think of it. There are foods we like and foods we reject. Why should fandom be any different? From what I hear, the furries are pulling out all the stops to keep MAGAfurs, alt-right furries, out of their circles, and I say sign me up! While we're at it, the furries are also rising up against Converse for featuring furries in one of their commercials. Essentially, furries want to stay deviant on their own terms to reject the encroachment of corporate wholesomeness because this it threatens to erase almost everything that the furry community stands for such as sex-positivity. This is how you gatekeep properly.

If you want my advice on something, please take this with you. I think it's time we discovered that there is no thing as the boogeyman. Whether you think it's "cancel culture" or gatekeeping, it way past time to cut the sensationalism. I don't remember a time when everyone was hysterical about either of these two things when I was a toddler, so why now?


End file.
